Measuring Impact Without Losing Heart: Healthy Compassion in Action (with Zoe Black and Mark Osborn, Happy Paws Happy Hearts)

In our debut episode of Board with Purpose, we sit down with Zoe Black, Founder & CEO of Happy Paws Happy Hearts, and Mark Osborn, the organisation's chair, for a powerful conversation on the challenge of measuring impact in a not-for-profit organisation.

Authentic, candid and full of practical insight, we delve into:

• How impact data informs governance, board decision‑making and strategic planning
• The importance of CEO wellbeing, including Zoe's transformative three‑month sabbatical
• Balancing impact and sustainability in a changing NDIS landscape
• Scaling a purpose‑driven model across diverse communities
• Building board capability and culture for long‑term success

Zoe and Mark generously take us inside the Happy Paws Happy Hearts organisation and board, sharing its journey of impact measurement so far.

Here are just a handful of many noteworthy takeaways:

• Traditional output metrics fall short. A robust Theory of Change fundamentally reshaped how Happy Paws Happy Hearts understands and delivers impact.
• Measuring impact requires trauma‑aware approaches that avoid retraumatising participants while still capturing meaningful outcomes.
• Thoughtful impact reporting can strengthen participant agency, giving beneficiaries tools to advocate for themselves in complex support systems.
• Embedding impact into organisational strategy demands board commitment—integrating it into dashboards, conversations and decision‑making processes.
• Purpose‑driven organisations must carefully balance scale and sustainability without compromising the integrity of their mission.
• Effective governance requires navigating shifting NDIS reforms, regional growth pressures, and a clearly defined risk appetite.
• Leadership wellbeing is critical; conversations about burnout, sabbaticals and "healthy compassion" reveal what it takes to sustain impactful work over the long term.

Learn more about Happy Paws Happy Hearts: https://www.hphhfoundation.org/

Thank you to Impact Culture Australian for their assistance in this episode of Boards With Purpose. https://impactcultureaustralia.com.au/

Find key resources for those in the NFP space in the AICD Not-for-Profit Resource Centre.